


I'm Gonna Change That Tune

by shinealightrose



Series: Piano Bar [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Songs in a Piano Bar and Gross Flirting, M/M, Piano Bar, Songs in a Piano Bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:03:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinealightrose/pseuds/shinealightrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prepare to be serenaded by the sexiest little singer on the block, Zitao, and his favorite patron to torture, Sehun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Gonna Change That Tune

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is your author writing - and yes, this is a Taohun piano bar!au. Bet you've never read something like this before! Come on, I dare you.

The party in the corner grows louder and louder, despite only claiming their reserved table minutes before. The gaggle of middle-aged women are out for a girls’ night, and they apparently don’t care that the cutie pie singer slouching all over their table and chairs obviously plays for the other team. That, or they’re too drunk to notice or care.

“It’s Julie’s birthday!” one of the women yells, and her drink already sloshes over the side of the glass, drenching her hand and part of Zitao’s cuff.

Zitao smiles, smarming it up. “Oh so that’s the reason for tonight’s celebration… Happy 21st,” he tells the 35 year old woman. She squeals and smiles, and cheers for herself while her girlfriends fawn over Zitao as he drifts towards the piano.

“Lay, did you hear?” Zitao gushes. “It’s the lady’s birthday tonight. I think we can pull out something a little special.”

He winks at Julie and her friends, and across the bar Sehun sighs dramatically. The pianist starts the sultry birthday song with a roll of his fingers, and everyone knows what’s coming next.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Sehun tells Sara, just as Zitao unbuttons the top button of his shirt and leans over his mic seductively at the ladies.

“ _Happy… Biiiirrthday…… Julieeeeeee_.”

“Don’t be a prude, Sehun. Relax. Just enjoy the show,” Sara says, just loud enough for Sehun to hear her over the tinkling of the piano and through Zitao’s ghastly rendition of Marilyn Monroe’s even ghastlier version of ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President.’

“ _Happy… Biiiirrthday……to…… you._ ”

“I’m trying to enjoy it,” Sehun grumbles. “But I still think I might be sick.”

_“Happy… Biiiirrthday… Ju-u-u-uuu—lieeee.”_

“That’s it. I’m gonna puke.”

Sara laughs unsympathetically. She’s on her second free drink of the night, courtesy of the curly-headed bartender, while Sehun is positive that  _his_ drinks are still being listed on their open tab.

“ _Happy… Biiiirrthday……to…… you._ ”

“Thank God, he’s done.”

The women shriek and squeal, and Sara applauds loudly too just to annoy Sehun. He scowls at her, scowls again when she leans forward to kiss him on the cheek as reward for surviving the song. He playfully pushes her away, fixes his perfectly fine collar and jumps, startled, when Zitao sits down right in front of him. Sehun looks around wildly, wondering he how could get here so fast. Lay plays an atmospheric interlude in the corner, but Zitao smirks at the couple he just joined. 

“Fancy seeing you guys here again,” Zitao says with a bright smile. He plays down the seductive side of himself for the first time this night, and Sehun is grateful.

Sara smiles. “Got any good tips yet tonight, Tao?” She leans her head towards the ladies’ table.

“Working on it.”

“That was the lamest song ever, just for the record,” Sehun growls.

“So glad you enjoyed it.” Zitao doesn’t give any indication if the remark offends him. It won’t be the first time the bar’s repeat customer insults his style, and Sehun knows by now that Zitao just really loves making him squirm in his seat.

“He enjoyed it so much, he claims he wanted to barf,” Sara adds with a twinkle in her eye, the corners of her lips drawn upwards.

That makes Zitao’s night. “I could escort you to the restroom, if you like,” he says, smirking. He leans in closer. “Although if my style offends you, you could always leave and find another bar, or another singer to suit your tastes…” He pouts and then cackles wildly at Sehun’s glare.

“I’m only here for Sara,” Sehun insists.

“Sure you are.” Zitao winks and wanders off, no doubt to work on the ladies to ensure a good night’s worth of tips.

“You’re hilarious,” Sara says between drinks. “You let him get to you so bad, is it any wonder he loves to make fun of you?”

“I don’t need your help.” He sighs heavily. “Why do I even come here? Remind me again?”

Sara laughs. “Because you love me, and I love you, the drinks are incredible and the music is good.”

“Most of the music,” Sehun reluctantly agrees. At least the pianist is good. Lay doesn’t have the same spark that Zitao does when they’re performing, but the two at least complement each other well with piano and voice. Their harmonies aren’t too bad when Lay decides to take up the mic. The two are not afraid either to interrupt one another during the other's solo pieces, even if Lay forgets his lines half the time and ends up adlibbing with only his hums for accompaniment.  But where Zitao is flamboyant, Lay is more laid back, and that’s a good thing. Sehun couldn’t handle two Zitaos in a place like this. It’s bad enough they’ve got Luhan manning the door and doubling as wait staff, because with that man’s ever chipper nature, he could talk you to death, smile until you faint, and just about persuade you to go home with him until the next customer walks in and he starts all over from scratch.

Speaking of Luhan…

Lay ends his interlude, and Zitao still chats up the ladies, but where is Luhan heading with that…

“Is that a ukulele?” Sehun squeaks.

Sara’s jaw drops open, and she hastens to cover her shocked expression with one hand. “Oh my God, I think it is.” Her laughter pierces through the air, and it’s a good thing Luhan knows and likes her so that instead of looking embarrassed he pointedly catches her gaze, beams, and dedicates the next song to her.

“This is just getting worse and worse,” Sehun says, hanging his head down over the table. “I think I need another drink.”

“Should I try to get you one for free?” Sara offers, but Sehun scoffs. 

Up on the tiny stage, Luhan adjusts the mic to his height, fixes the second one attached to the stand so it picks up the ukulele and strums experimentally until he finds his rhythm. 

Sehun doesn’t bother trying to follow the lyrics, if they even are lyrics with a particular language. He thinks not, because it sounds like Luhan’s ‘song’ is but a mixture of sounds and trills with the occasional phrase thrown in, but Luhan hums and sings away strumming his cute little ukulele without a care in the world. A few more customers enter the dingy lit room, and the bartender quickly signals Zitao to attend to them. The singer sashays away from the ladies, picks at Sehun’s hair on his way by, and greets and seats the new couple one table over. Sehun can’t believe he has only been doing this for a month, because the ease and confidence Zitao has while attending to multiple things at once looks like he’s been at this for years. He was practically born to ooze his presence all throughout the small piano bar, and he knows it too.

Luhan finishes his song to mediocre applause and, unperturbed, puts up his instrument, returns to the mic and starts another song with Lay playing the piano this time.

“He goes from  _that_  straight into Phantom of the Opera?” Sehun whines. “What kind of place  _has_  this become!?”

_“Think of me, think of me fondly, when we’ve said goodbye…”_

Sara laughs. “He’s always loved this song. He’s sung it before too, haven’t you noticed?” Sehun shakes his head. “Oh, well maybe you were too distracted by Zitao to really notice.”

“I definitely wasn’t.”

“I think you must have been. Luhan sings so pretty too. How could you miss this?”

“Must have been a night when you were here by yourself.”

“What? I never come here without you,” Sara protests.

“I’m sure you must have,” he grumbles. 

Sara gives up the argument just as Zitao sidles back into view.  He doesn’t sit this time though. Instead he walks around to stand between the seated couple and leans over with a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Having fun?” he speaks to them equally.

“Oh yes!”

“No.”

Zitao chuckles. “Well maybe you’ll like it when I start singing again?” He whispers, and the slight breaths coming out of his mouth tickle the hairs around Sehun’s ear. Sehun shivers and ducks, pulling away with a huff. “Got any requests? Something to put you more at ease? Something to make you let go? Let it go?”

“Oh my God, please, no Disney songs here,” Sehun begs.

“Just for you, baby, I’ll save it for another night, or for some other more  _appreciative_  audience.”

“I’m sure they’ll love it.”

Zitao strolls back over to the piano and leans contentedly on the wall behind Lay while Luhan finishes his solo. He closes his eyes, as if melting into the music and looking too moved to socialize or even flirt with the patrons.

Sara shakes the ice around her empty glass and Sehun notices she’s finished her second one now. It’s a sort of brandy and chocolate crème creation of the bartender’s, and since their server is occupied with his operatic serenade, and Zitao either too into the song to notice, or else faking it too well to observe his customer’s empty glass, she gets up herself and perches at the bar counter. The dim overhead light catches the glimmer of her diamond ring as she flirts shamelessly with the bartender. Sehun looks away, and mistakenly locks eyes with Zitao across the room. The singer smiles at him knowingly, arms crossed, and he might still be acting out his love for Luhan’s song, but Sehun can guess Zitao is only focusing on him right at this particular moment. He smiles back. 

A few minutes later, Luhan finishes his song, Sara returns with a different drink, and Zitao takes his place at the stand again. Their little moment had finished too, and true to Zitao’s style he immediately changes key and starts off with a song in a new style entirely.

“Of course he would sing Adele,” Sehun sighs this time. “What did you get?” he asks Sara.

_“I heard that you’re settled down, that you found a girl and you’re married now…”_

“Something else he made for me. I didn’t quite hear what he said was in it. It’s a new creation.” She mixes it around and takes a cautious sip, buzzing happily when it tastes good.

“Was this one free too?”

“No, sadly, I have to help actually pay some of the bills around here. I put it on your tab.” She winks.

_“I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited but I couldn’t stay away, I couldn’t fight it…”_

“Can I try it?” Sehun takes a sip and crinkles his nose at the bitter mixture. “God, that’s disgusting.”

“No it’s not. I like it a lot.”

“They should fire that guy. He sucks.”

“Who? Zitao or the bartender.”

“Both.” Sehun laughs.

“You’re just too picky. Oh no, don’t look. Zitao’s coming this way. Is he… oh no, he’s coming to sing to us.”

“Damnit. Whatever, I’m ready.”

Zitao strolls over and purposefully lingers before the two seater table where Sehun sits back, arms crossed and smirk in place. The singer cheesily pours out his heart through song, mic in hand, eyes playfully flirting. Sehun glares at him but it doesn’t make him stop.

_“Sometimes it lasts in love, and sometimes it hurts instead…”_

He dares even to touch one hand to Sehun's cheek, and Sara snorts into her hand the more pissed and uncomfortable Sehun becomes. The pianist starts his little improvisation as the chorus builds up into the bridge, and Zitao wanders off to the next table to serenade another couple, with decidedly less cheese, Sehun notes. He huffs into what’s left of his drink. 

“Why does he have to do those things?” he asks his companion.

Sara laughs, takes a drink of her own cocktail, drains it and thumps it back down on the table. “You say this like you're not used to it. Zitao sings like this to all the regulars.” She tosses her hair haughtily, and pats Sehun on the arm, knowing that isn't a comfort.

“He's such a ham,” he mutters, frowning. Sara laughs again and then signals the bartender for a refill. 

“Haven’t you had enough for tonight?” Sehun asks her.

“This is only my third drink total,” she complains with a pout.

“Do whatever you want then.”

He settles back in listening to Zitao, though he won’t look at the man or acknowledge the cheesy song. Sara enjoys it well enough, humming a few bars here and there and Zitao spends the rest of the song walking amongst the drunk and dancing birthday women. The longer the night goes on, the grabbier they get, and the more Zitao allows them to touch and occasionally manhandle him. He dances with a few slowly and theatrically as he finishes the song, and Sehun gets more and more annoyed. The ‘Happy Birthday Julie’ even manages to sneak halfway into his embrace and cups one cheek while whispering into his ear. Zitao laughs indulgently as the song comes to a close, artfully pulls himself away and demands another round of beer for the ladies. They cheer and clap and return to their tables, and Lay plays another interlude while Zitao excuses himself for a few moments. 

“They’re shameless,” Sehun tells Sara.

She nods delightedly. “Yup. They’re drunk. And he’s cute.”

“But  _he’_ s gay.”

“Doesn’t matter when you’re drunk. Besides, it’s not like they’ll try to take him home, don’t worry. They’ll finish up here probably in another half hour and find another stop on their bar-hopping way.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I know women. Trust me, that’s what they’ll do.”

She is right. In another twenty minutes, the drunken party begins making their exit, and in thirty minutes they finally leave the piano bar. The rest of the handful of patrons breathe in contentedly as they find their own pace amidst the sounds of the room and of the light chatting, and Lay at the piano and a few more songs by Zitao. 

An older couple on the other side of the bar finally make a request for some Frank Sinatra and Lay happily takes on the challenge while Zitao takes a break. He accepts a glass of water from the bartender, another for Sara, nothing for Sehun, and joins their table once more.

“I see your tip jar is full up tonight,” Sehun says, bored.

Zitao glances at the jar on the piano, smiles happily and says, “Yeah, Lay and Luhan will eat well this weekend too.”

“What, won’t they split it with you?” Sara asks.

_ “That’s life,”  _ Lay begins to sing. _  “That’s what all the people say…” _

“Nah, I told them they could have it today,” he says with a little shrug. “Besides, my boyfriend said he’d treat me well on Friday, since I’ll actually have the night off.” 

_ “You’re riding high in April…” _

Sara giggles. “Oh, I bet you’ll make him pay. Didn’t you say he refused to take you shopping last week? How cheap of him.” 

_ “Shot down in May…” _

“Yes, I also wanted a nice meal at that Italian restaurant around the corner. Since, you know, it’s been about five years that we’ve been together. He wouldn’t do that either.” 

_ “But I guess I’m gonna change that tune…” _

Sara hums in sympathy. “Yes, those men can be like that. I was fishing for an extravagant meal last week too, but my husband wouldn’t take me. He said something about this week instead though. Maybe he’s got a surprise for me?” She looks around the bar hopefully.

Sehun grunts, annoyed as they just continue to talk like he isn’t even there. The next thing he knows, even Luhan is sitting down with them, checking his phone eagerly every few seconds and glancing at the door.

_ “That’s life… That’s life, and I can’t deny it.” _

Zitao smiles suddenly, five times larger than he has smiled all night. “Well, my boyfriend can’t do anything else now. I’m going to get my expensive Italian food alright. I already made a reservation for tomorrow at 7.”

“Such a lucky boy,” Sara says, “to have a rich boyfriend. By the way, Sehunnie, can’t I put just one more drink on your tab.”

Sehun chokes. Even with no liquid in his mouth, something about his saliva drying up makes him gulp for air, and Sara quickly passes her water glass into his hands. For some reason she takes him choking as a yes, and using the excuse to refill her water glass, sweet talks the bartender into another special concoction.

The door opens to a pink haired angel and Luhan makes a run for the entrance, engulfing the boy in a spinning hug. He drags him off to a corner booth ostensibly to ‘seat’ the new customer, but Sehun and Zitao both know he won’t actually pay attention to anything now unless he absolutely has to. Luhan’s done sweet-talking with anyone else for the night. 

“Guess it’s you me and left now,” Zitao says. Sara still hasn’t returned from the bar.

“Is that so,” Sehun says gruffly. “What, no more women to lure to your tip jar?”

_ “Many times I thought of cuttin’ out, but my heart won’t buy it…” _

“Hey, I told you tonight’s tips weren’t for me. I’m just helping to support my colleagues. Poor Luhan over there hasn’t gotten to take his boyfriend out in weeks!” 

“And Lay?”

Zitao studies the pianist. “Who knows about him. Never talks about himself really. But what about you?”

_ “But if there’s nothin’ shakin’ come this July…” _

Sehun frowns. “Italian food, huh?”

Zitao nods excitedly.

_ “I’m gonna roll myself up… into a big ball…” _

“You’re really trying to bust my bank, aren’t you?”

Again Zitao nods happily.

“Fine, Tao. Fine. 7 o’clock tomorrow. Now can we get out of here now?”

“What about Sara?” 

“She can go home with her husband.” Sehun nods towards the bartender.

_ “a-aand… dieeee…” _

Zitao clasps a hand around his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Lay’s just about done. Then we can get out of here.”

_ “My. My.” _

__

**Author's Note:**

> Based on my experiences at a piano bar while on vacation in Miami. Wanted to write a fic out of it, and only Taohun fit the part. FYI, I wrote myself and my husband into the story. Not that he can bartend or anything, but hey - fictional world. I do what I want.
> 
> Multiple Fics in this series- various pairs. Please look them up when you're done!


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